Ditching and grading machine



C. M. KIMBLEY. y DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE. APPLICATION minlnv/11.1918.

1327047' Patented Jan. 6, 1920, I y v 2 sHEETS-SHEET 4l Illll C] H0141 m C. M. KMBLEY. nncHlNG AND GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JLILY 17,1918. 1,327,047, Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

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. UNITED vSTAT CHARLES M. KIMBLEY, or OWENS-Bono, KENTJCKY.

DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE.,

Application led July 17, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. KIMBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching and Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ditching and grading machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is simple and strong in construction, and is thorough and effective for both ditching and grading. Y Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible machine of this character so constructed that when not in use it may be folded compactlyto occupy a minimum amount of space for storing or shipping and in which the parts remain so connected that they cannot become lost when the machine is not in use.

l/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed with# out departing from the spirit of the invern tion.

In the accompanying drawings I Figure 1 represents a top plan view partly in section of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, parts being broken out for convenience in illustration.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof sho-wing the cutting blade or scraper in operative position ready for use, and

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section showing the scraping blade in raised inoperative position.

In the embodiment illustrated, the machine constituting this invention comprises a plate 1 of heavy metal with a scraping or cutting blade 2 bolted to its lower edge, said blade being shown inclined forwardly. Secured to the rear face of plate 1 is an angle iron 3, one flange of which extends laterally from said plate and is apertured to provide bearings for certain parts presently to be described. The upper end of plate 1 has a lateral and rearwardly ex- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 245,359.

tending flange 1, which is also apertured as shown at 5, some of the apertures therein being designed to register with some of* those in the flange of the angle iron 3 to form bearings for certain parts of the machine to be hereinafter described.

A tongue G carries at its front end the clevis 7 and has its rear end extended beyond plate 1 and curved downwardly and forI wardly as shown at 8 with its terminal extended under the horizontal flange of the ngle bar 3 and secured thereto by a pintle 9 extending through apertures in said flange and tongue end. This pintle 9 also extends through the tongue and through one of the apertures 5 in the flange 11 of plate l and is provided with a head 10 to facilitate the insertion and'removal of theJ pintle 9.

A seat 11 is also carried by the curved portion of the tongue and is mounted on a` bar 11 bolted to said tongue as is shown clearly 1n Fig. 2 and on which the operator or driver of the machine is designed tol ride.

A bracket 12 extends rearwardly and laterally from the curved portion 8 of the tongue and is apertured for a purpose Vpresently Y to bev described. An inverted U'- shaped brace member 13 has one of its legs 13 inserted through one of the apertures 6 which are formed in the tongue,

6 and the 'other leg`13' is removably engaged with one of the apertures 5in the flange 4: of plate 1 as is shown clearly in Fig. 1 and by means of which the tongue is held against lateral movement.-

Supporting wheels lt are mounted in the rear ends of curved bars 15, the front ends of which carry bearings 16 through which extend axles or pintles 17 mounted in the apertures of flanges 3 and 1 which form bearings for said pintles. These bars 15 have extending upwardly therefrom at av signed to extend through an aperture in the bracket 12 to assist in holding the tongue against lateral movement as well as to form a support for the bar 18.

Mounted in apertures in the flanges 3 and l near the ends of plate 1 are upstanding shafts 22 which carry supporting'wheels 23 at their lower ends, and at their upper ends have connected therewith levers 24 fulcrumed at 25 to standards 26 rising from the flange 4 of plate 1. These standards 26 carry sector-shaped racks 27 with which are engaged spring pressed dogs as 28 so that the levers may be locked in adjusted position. These levers are designed for raising and lowering standards 22 relative to plate 1 so as to elevate or lower the cutting blade 2 to adapt it for use or not as may bedesired, it being obvious that when the machine is to be transported, this blade must be raised to prevent its cutting into the earth over which the machine passes.

The front end of tongue 6 is supported by i a wheel 29 carried by an upright axle 30 which is mounted in a clevis 7 cotter pins 31jbeing shown passed through said shaft above and below the tongue. This clevis 7 is designed for attachment to the motive power ofthe machine, which may be a traction engine or it may be horse drawn by connecting double or swingletrees thereto.

When the machine is to be used for scraping or digging the parts are positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the drawing of the machine forward will cause the blade 2 to cut into the surface of the ground VVover which it passes, and cut out the earth-therefrom or to elevate earth already loosened or cut up.

When the machine is notin use, and it is desiredto pack it to economize in space or to ship it, the connecting brace 13 is first removed and this and bar 18 are the only parts which are actually detachable from the machine entirely, bar 18V preferably remaining connected.

The cross bar 18 is then lifted off the studs 15 and the bars 15 are folded inwardly against the rear face of plate 1 the tongue 6 having also been swung laterally to position it over the plate and the bar 18 folded flat against plate 1 in a plane above that occupied by the bars 15. `The supporting wheels 23 may also be folded fiat against plate 1 and when the parts are in this positionthe machine will occupy a very small amount of space, being comparatively flat with the shaft 30 and the wheel 29 Vcarried thereby, positioned at one end and the seat 11 extended toward the other end. When so collapsed this machine may be stored or packed as desired, and when it is desired to set it up for use again, this may be accomplished Vwith verylittle effort and the con-` what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is

In a machine of the class described, asubstantially rectangular-structure composed of an upstanding front plate extending transversely across the machine and having a scraper on' its lower edge, longitudinally edgewise curved bars pivotally connected at one end with the ends of said plate and extending rearwardly therefrom and disposed edgewise, wheels carried by the free ends of said bars, upstanding studs carried by the upper edges of said bars intermediately of their ends, an angle bar having apertures at its ends in one of its flanges said apertures being engaged with said studs, the upper flange having apertures for'the attachment of implements, atongue -pivoted intermediate its ends to the upper portion of said plate with its rear end curved downwardly and forwardly and connected at its terminal with the lower portion of said plate, means detachably connecting said angle bar with the curved portion of said tongue, and means for vertically adjusting said scraper carrying plate and holding it in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

cHARLEs M. KIMBLEY.l

Witnesses:

JAMES F. ALLEN, JOHN M. PATE. 

